Multiple threadline guiding



April 12, 1966 Filed May 12, 1964 S. E. WORKMAN MULTIPLE THREADLINE GUIDING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 12, 1966 s. E. WORKMAN 3,245,593

MULTIPLE THREADLINE GUIDING Filed May 12, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent it has been customary in the prior art to employ sets of simple multiple guides of comb or reed-like configurations, i.e., one set of guides uniformly spaced at intervals equal to initial yarn line separation along a line perpendicular to the initial yarn motion and a second set spaced atfinal yarn line separation along a line perpendicular to final yarn direction. In this type of apparatus the individual lines diverge or converge at different angles depending upon their individual distance from the central plane of symmetry for the group of yarn lines. This method has been satisfactory for ordinary yarns at relatively low speeds; however, when speeds are increased to several thousand yardsper minute, yarn lines often fail to process at desirable property levels.

An object of this invention is to provide increased mechanical dynamic stability and reduced yarn or filament breakage while maintaining at the same time, decreased line to line physical property variance among multiple lines running at high lineal speeds and through a zone wherein line separation is changed. Other objects will become apparent from the description and disclosure given hereinafter.

The objects of this invention are accomplished by the method of first deflecting each yarn line through an identical, predetermined number of angular degrees and thereafter again deflecting, in a direction opposite to the first deflection, each of the yarn lines through the same number of angular degrees of the first deflection whereby the yarn lines assume a new, predetermined separation. This method is accomplished by utilizing an arrangement comprising first displacing means, consisting of yarn guides equal in number to the yarn lines and spaced in such a manner that each yarn line is deflected an identical, predetermined number of angular degrees, and second displacing means, consisting of an equivalent number of yarn guides longitudinally disposed along the line of yarn travel from the first displacing means and placed at the final yarn line separation.

Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of an assembly of yarn guides arranged to diverge a plurality of yarn lines;

FIGURE 2 is a schematic illustrating the mathematical and geometrical explanation of the spatial relationships required by this invention and FIGURE 3 is a plan view of an assembly of yarn guides arranged to converge a plurality of yarn lines.

A preferred embodiment, shown in FIGURE 1, includes the method and apparatus for diverging four yarn lines simultaneously. Yarn lines 1, 2, 3 and 4 are received from a source, not shown, in the form of a spaced set of parallel lines moving in a vertical direction. The yarn lines are then diverged to fall in directions 1, 2', 3 and 4' and then finally each is again deflected so that they are transported to a further processing step, not shown, in a vertical direction but with an increased separation along the lines 1", 2", 3" and 4". As can be readily seen,

3,245,593 Patented Apr. 12, 1966 yarn line 1 is parallel to line 2 and line 3' is parallel to line 4' and all angles of deflection, 14 through 21, are of equal magnitude. This method of directing multiple yarn lines through a diverging region is carried out by means of yarn guides 5 through 12 having geometrically determined relative spacing and location. The spacing between yarn guides 5 and 6 in a horizontal direction is equal to the initial spacing of yarn lines 1 and 2 as they are received from a source not shown. The vertical spacing of yarn guide '6 from yarn guide 5, in the direction of yarn travel, is determined by the requirement that yarn line 2' be deflected by the same angle as yarn 1 and therefore parallel. Yarn guide 7 is similarly displaced from yarn guide 8. Yarn guides 9, 10, 11 and 12 are located along a horizontal line and at a separation equal to the predetermined diverged separation of the yarn lines as they are passed to the next processing step.

FIGURE 2 shows the geometrical relations required for this invention to give the vertical separation between two adjacent yarn line guides such that, after deflection, the two yarn lines are parallel. Line AF represents the portion of yarn line 1 in the diverging zone and line DG represents yarn line 2' in the diverging zone which is required by this invention to be parallel to yarn line 1'. Line BD represents a segment of yarn line 2 before being diverged. Effectively, guides 5, 6, 9 and 10 of FIGURE 1 are at points A, D, F and G respectively. Since points A and B are on .a horizontal line and point D is the point of divergence of yarn line 2, the distance BB is the required displacement of the guide at D vertically from a guide at -A for this invention. Calling this displacement, h, the geometry of this figure prescribes that h be made equal to (S S tan or wherein a is the angle of deflection of the yarn lines .and at a given deflecting yarn guide and S and S are initial and final yarn line separations respectively. This is evident from the following geometrical relationships:

tan =fin L l CE (CD-ED) (S -S FIGURE 3 represents the preferred embodiment of the means for converging four yarn lines simultaneously. Yarn lines 22, 24, 26 and 28 are received from a source, not shown, in the form of a spaced set of parallel lines moving in a vertical direction. The yarn lines are then converged to fall in directions 22', 24', 26' and 28' and again deflected so that they are transported to a further processing step, not shown, in a vertical direction but with a decreased separation along the lines 22", 24", 26" and 28". Yarn line 22' is parallel to yarn line 24' and yarn line 26 is parallel to yarn line 28', and all angles of deflection, 45 through 52, are of equal magnitude. The method of directing the multiple yarn lines through a converging region is accomplished by yarn guides 30-37 having geometrically determined relative spacing and location. The horizontal spacing between yarn guides 30 and 31 is equal to the initial spacing of yarn lines 22 and 24. The vertical spacing of yarn guide 30 from yarn guide 31, in the direction of yarn travel, is determined by the requirement that yarn line 24' be deflected by the same angle as yarn line 22. Yarn guide 32 is similarly spaced from yarn guide 33 while yarn guides 34, 35, 36 and 37 are located along a horizontal line and at a separation equal to the predetermined converged separation of the yarn lines as they are transported to the next processing step.

This invention can be advantageously applied to any number of yarn lines, to converging as well as diverging lines and to lines either grouped around a central line of symmetry or all deflecting in the same direction from the initial line of motion of the yarns. Additionally, it

should be readily appreciated, that the advantages of this invention can be also accomplished by having the first set of guides placed at an original spacing along a line perpendicular to the original direction of yarn travel and having the second set of guides spaced both transversely and longitudinally so that the individual yarn lines will be deflected through an identical number of degrees and be either converged or diverged to the predetermined degree required.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description is by way of example only and that various modifications and changes in the details can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of converging or diverging parallel, multiple yarn lines running at high lineal speeds which comprises first deflecting each of said yarn lines through an identical, predetermined number of angular degrees and thereafter again deflecting, in the direction opposite to the first deflection, each of said yarn lines through said predetermined number of angular degrees, each of said yarn lines being deflected at a different point along its length during one of said deflecting operations and at the same point along its length during the other of said deflecting operations, whereby said yarn lines assume a predetermined parallel, converged or diverged relative yarn-to-yarn spacing.

2. An apparatus for converging or diverging parallel, multiple yarn lines running at high lineal speeds which comprises first displacing means to deflect each of said yarn lines an identical, predetermined number of angular degrees and second displacing means, longitudinally disposed in the direction of yarn travel from said first displacing means, to deflect in the opposite direction each of said yarn lines said identical, predetermined number of angular degrees, each of said yarn lines being deflected at a different point along its length by one of said displacing means and at the same point along its length by the other of said displacing means, whereby said yarn lines assume a predetermined parallel, converged or diverged relative yarn-to-yarn spacing.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said first and second displacing means consist of a plurality of yarn guides equal in number to the total of said yarn lines.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the longitudinal relationship between adjacent yarn guides in said first displacing means on the same side of the geometric center of said parallel, multiple yarn lines is represented by the equation: h=(S -S tan a in which h is the longitudinal displacement between adjacent yarn guides, S is the initial yarn line separation, S is the final yarn line separation and a is the angle of deflection of the yarn lines.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 365,591 6/1887 Fenner 2828 585,266 6/1897 Foster. 2,565,407 8/1951 Still 28-28 ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Examiner.

J. ERLICH, Assistant Examiner 

1. THE METHOD OF CONVERGING OR DIVERGING PARALLEL, MULTIPLE YARN LINES RUNNING AT HIGH LINEAL SPEEDS WHICH COMPRISES FIRST DEFLECTING EACH OF SAID YARN LINES THROUGH AN IDENTICAL, PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF ANGULAR DEGREES AND THEREAFTER AGAIN DEFLECTING, IN THE DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THE FIRST DEFLECTION, EACH OF SAID YARN LINES THROUGH SAID PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF ANGULAR DEGREES, EACH OF SAID YARN LINES BEING DEFLECTED AT A DIFFERENT POINT ALONG ITS LENGTH DURING ONE OF SAID DEFLECTING OPERATIONS AND AT THE SAME POINT ALONG ITS LENGTH DURING THE OTHER OF SAID DEFLECTING OPERATIONS, WHEREBY SAID YARN LINES ASSUME A PREDETERMINED PARALLEL, CONVERGED OR DIVERGED RELATIVE YARN-TO-YARN SPACING. 